Water

Recall what a house plant looks like after you neglect to water if for a few days??? It is a wilty, limp, sad and longing for a drink. BUT if you give it a bit of this precious fluid it perks right up and regains its vitality. Our bodies rely on water just like other living organisms. It is essential for just about every action in the body including:

• Digestion
• Detoxification through urination and perspiration
• Providing nourishment and oxygen to the cells
• Temperature regulation
• Joint lubrication

• Immune and lymph function

So how much should we drink?

So how much water does the average, healthy adult living in a temperate climate need? In general, doctors (as well as the Mayo Clinic) recommend 8 or 9 cups. Here are the most common ways of calculating that amount:

• Replacement approach. The average urine output for adults is about 1.5 liters (6.3 cups) a day. You lose close to an additional liter (about 4 cups) of water a day through breathing, sweating and bowel movements. Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of water or other beverages a day (a little more than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you will typically replace your lost fluids.
• Eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. Another approach to water intake is the "8 x 8 rule" — drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day (about 1.9 liters). The rule could also be stated, "Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day," as all fluids count toward the daily total. Although the approach really isn't supported by scientific evidence, many people use this easy-to-remember rule as a guideline for how much water and other fluids to drink.
• Dietary recommendations. The Institute of Medicine advises that men consume roughly 3 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9 cups) of total beverages a day.

REMEMBER if you are in a hot climate or if you are doing substantial physical activity you must drink MUCH more water than the above guidelines. The bottom line - If you drink enough fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty, you urinate about 6 cups per day (good luck measuring) and it is not the color of rust, your fluid intake is probably adequate. If you're concerned about your fluid intake, check with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

Click here for an article about hydrating basics for fitness…

WHAT water should I drink?

The bottled water craze has truly taken over the world…literally. There are flavored waters, bubbly ones, electrolyte formulas, vitamin concoctions, you name it. When it comes to water you need to know a few things. First of all there are TONS of contaminants in tap water, AND there are also toxins in bottled water that leach from the thin plastic bottles they are packaged in. Below are five of the most commonly found environmental toxins that apply to this topic….

Chlorine: This highly toxic, yellow-green gas is one of the most heavily used chemical agents.

• Risks: Sore throat, coughing, eye and skin irritation, rapid breathing, narrowing of the bronchi, wheezing, blue coloring of the skin, accumulation of fluid in the lungs, pain in the lung region, severe eye and skin burns, lung collapse, reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS) (a type of asthma)
• Major Sources: drinking water, household cleaners,  air when living near an industry (such as a paper plant) that uses chlorine in industrial processes.

Phthalates: These chemicals are used to lengthen the life of fragrances and soften plastics.

• Risks: Endocrine system damage (phthalates chemically mimic hormones and are particurlarly dangerous to children.) 
• Major Sources: Plastic wrap, plastic bottles, plastic food storage containers. All of these can leach phthalates into our water and food.

VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds): VOCs are a major contributing factor to ozone, an air pollutant. According to the EPA, VOCs tend to be even higher (two to five times) in indoor air than outdoor air, likely because they are present in so many household products.

• Risks: Cancer, eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment
• Major Sources: Drinking water, carpet, paints, deodorants, cleaning fluids, varnishes, cosmetics, dry cleaned clothing, moth repellants, air fresheners.

Heavy Metals: Metals like arsenic, mercury, lead, aluminum and cadmium, which are prevalent in many areas of our environment, can accumulate in soft tissues of the body.

• Risks: Cancer, neurological disorders, Alzheimer's disease, foggy head, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, decreased production of red and white blood cells, abnormal heart rhythm, damage to blood vessels
• Major Sources: Drinking water, fish, vaccines, pesticides, preserved wood, antiperspirant, building materials, dental amalgams, chlorine plants.

Chloroform: This colorless liquid has a pleasant, nonirritating odor and a slightly sweet taste, and is used to make other chemicals. It's also formed when chlorine is added to water.

• Risks: Cancer, potential reproductive damage, birth defects, dizziness, fatigue, headache, liver and kidney damage.
• Major Sources: Air, drinking water and food can contain chloroform.

Yikes!!! So how do we hydrate without killing ourselves?? The answer is to go o’ natural!! Natural spring water from a tested and trusted source is just about the best. For those of us lucky enough to live in colorful Colorado the Eldorado Springs water is AWESOME, (but can be a bit pricey)!!

If you don’t have access to spring water the second best is a high-quality filtration system. We recommend at 10 stage filter. This not only physically filters the water, it uses carbon bonding to remove chlorine, trihalomethanes (THM), PCB's, toxic heavy metals, pesticides, herbicides, micro-organisms (protozoa and cysts) such as cryptosporidium and giardia, and dozens of other lesser known organic contaminants.

Check out a couple different systems:

New Wave Premium 10 Stage Water Filter

Fresh Water Works 10 Stage Water Filter